Congratulations to all our Session Six 2025 Lyric Contest winners. Read the winning lyrics for first through fourth place, below.
CLICK HERE to enter the 2026 Session One Lyric Contest.
1st Place – “Why Old Men Cry”
By: Joe Black
“The faded photo’s a reminder
Of their wedding day
Her veil cascades behind her
As she tosses her bouquet
Memories are fleeting
Like aimless butterflies
Hearts aren’t just for beating
That’s why old men cry
Each tear’s a gentle elegy
A visit from the past
Changing rhythm, tone and melody
As it fills the crystal glass
Tap a note into the evening
‘Til it fades and says goodbye
Like old friends slowly leaving
That’s why old men cry
Oh the power and the beauty!
Faded scars worn down by toil
The remembered calls to duty
The stench of midnight oil
The anthems that he chanted
Till his throat was raw and dry
His wine’s long been decanted
That’s why old men cry
And the promise of tomorrow
Lost the joy that it once brought
No time left to steal or borrow
Just the ticking of the clock
Posting sticky notes on treasure
So kin can come on by
And pick through at their leisure
That’s why old men cry
And the seedlings that he planted
Are now wild and overgrown
His children, firmly landed
All have gardens of their own
The meager harvests he once gleaned
Have increased and multiplied
More than he ever dreamed
That’s why old men cry
BRIDGE:
Tears of sorrow, tears of hope
Tears of shelter and of caution
Tears of learning how to cope
With the fear and sheer exhaustion
Tears of joy that feel like cleansing
Tears that come from truth
Tears that are never ending
And tears of wasted youth
You can’t stop them if you try
That’s why old men cry”
Since 1984, American Songwriter’s Lyric Contest has helped aspiring songwriters get noticed and have fun. Enter the 2026 Lyric Contest today before the deadline:
2nd Place – “For Jesus”
By: Avrim Max Topel and Mason Douglass
She was born for Sunday morning, while I lived for Saturday night
She was led by the good Book and I couldn’t leave a good time
She begged me and pleaded to be who she needed
But naive and stubborn don’t change
And while she was prayin’ that I was worth savin’
Somebody else showed her The Way
CHORUS
She left me for Jesus
Cuz I was no saint
It tore me to pieces, she found who she needed
Now He’s here to stay,
The last thing I heard was her quotin’ The Word
Just like in church, goin’ chapter for verse
No, I still can’t believe it
She left me for Jesus
She ain’t done nothing wrong, she simply moved on to something greater
While I couldn’t escape all my mistakes, the dive bars, and my bad behavior
Yeah, I shoulda listened instead of just wishin’
Pretending that I was her Savior
CHORUS
Now I can see she was right from here in this pew
I saw the light, what a glorious view…what else could I do cuz
CHORUS
She left me for Jesus
Cuz I was no saint
It tore me to pieces, but I found who I needed
Now He’s here to stay,
The last thing I heard was her quotin’ The Word
Just like in church, goin’ chapter for verse
Now I’m a believer
She left me for Jesus
I’m a believer
She left me for Jesus
3rd Place – “Your Memory Drinks For Free”
By: Dennis Gilkey
-V 1-
I swore I’d leave this town,
See your ghost in the rearview,
But the jukebox hits that chord
And I’m right back next to you.
-V 2-
Every shadow on the wall
Holds your silhouette in view,
And every burn I swallow down
Tastes like nights I lost with you.
-C-
I’m payin’ for the whiskey,
Payin’ for the pain,
Bartender keeps pourin’ but it all tastes the same.
Every glass I’m buyin’
Brings you back to me,
Guess in this old barroom,
Your memory drinks for free.
-V 3-
The neon hum’s still buzzin’,
But your smile steals the show,
I’m stuck between the then and now,
In a place I can’t let go.
-V 4-
I reach for one last lifeline,
But it’s just your photograph,
And in this worn-out corner,
You’re the one I gotta move past.
-C-
I’m payin’ for the whiskey,
Payin’ for the pain,
Bartender keeps pourin’ but it all tastes the same.
Every glass I’m buyin’
Brings you back to me,
Guess in this old barroom,
Your memory drinks for free.
-B- (melody change)
Now I’m drowning in the quiet
Where your laughter used to stay,
And Every lie I told myself
Can’t make the hurt go away,
-O- (slow/talk)
So I raise this glass to nothin’,
To the ghost that won’t leave me,
No matter how much I’m spendin’,
Your memory drinks for free.
Since 1984, American Songwriter’s Lyric Contest has helped aspiring songwriters get noticed and have fun. Enter the 2026 Lyric Contest today before the deadline:
4th Place – “How Forever Sounds”
By: Chris Nelson
Verse 1
Your daddy’s handshake on the courthouse lawn,
Your mama cryin’ when we drove off,
We didn’t have much but we swore somehow,
We’d build a life outta here and now.
Pre-Chorus
Through broke-down trucks and sleepless nights,
One thing’s been steady this whole damn ride—
Chorus
Every “I love you” whispered in the dark,
Every scar we stitched on each other’s hearts,
From the kitchen floor to the edge of this town—
That’s how forever sounds.
Through the highs, the lows, the lost and found,
Baby, your love’s how forever sounds.
Verse 2
Cheap-rent dreams in a shotgun house,
Hand-me-down rings we still wear proud,
We built a kingdom on borrowed ground,
Brick by brick and vow by vow.
Pre-Chorus
Storms may shake what we’re livin’ in,
But they can’t touch where forever begins—
Chorus
Every “I love you” whispered in the dark,
Every scar we stitched on each other’s hearts,
From the kitchen floor to the edge of this town—
That’s how forever sounds.
Through the highs, the lows, the lost and found,
Baby, your love’s how forever sounds.
Bridge
One day when the silence takes my name,
You’ll still hear me in the falling rain.
Final Chorus
Every “I love you” that you still believe,
Every road we’ve walked led you here to me,
And if the lights go out, I’ll still be around—
That’s how forever sounds.
Through the highs, the lows, the lost and found,
Baby, your love’s how forever sounds.
Since 1984, American Songwriter’s Lyric Contest has helped aspiring songwriters get noticed and have fun. Enter the 2026 Lyric Contest today before the deadline:
Honorable Mentions:
“Good Time Comin”
By Willie Stone
“Her Heart Feels Everything”
By Chris Genzardi
“I Held You in the Quiet”
By Lucy Chapin
“Last Call Cowboy”
By Daiton Vike
“Milwaukee Talk Me”
By Collin Olson
“Nashville Broke”
By Bill O’Hanlon
“Run Silent, Run Deep”
By Andrew Dingley
“Shoulda Stuck with the Horse”
By Debby Dever and Pat Porter
“Speak of the Devil”
By Mark Burgess
“Sweet Cicely”
By Andrew Yerkes
“You Still Matter”
By Barbie Egnor
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.